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Maremma:
An introduction
Giglio Island
Grosseto
Argentario
Capalbio
Castiglione d. Pescaia
Gavorrano
Magliano in Toscana
Manciano
Massa Marittima
Orbetello
Pitigliano
Sorano
Inland hills
Gastronomy
Maremma travel guides
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Pitigliano - Photo (c)
gari.baldi
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Maremma: Pitigliano
Pitigliano seems to have stepped from a fairtale. It appears to have
grown from the stone of this wildly beautiful promontory, bounded by
green valleys crossed by the Lente and Meleta rivers.
The high walls of volcanic tufa, carved by a thousand caverns, project
tower-houses, heightening the picture quality of the typically medieval
town.
The houses, constructed on a tufa drum, repeat the vertical of the
sheer cliff, making the enclosing walls almost superfluous, although the
defensive structures such as the 14th century Orsini Palace are most
imposing.
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The town treasures the evidence of its ancient past, the centuries of
succeeding civilizations and their cultures: the Rinaldian eneolithic
period; the Etruscan tombs discovered in the surrounding territory or
along the city walls; the Roman origin of the antique Gens Petilia; the
Medieval Aldobandeschi family that ruled the Maremma for almost half a
millennium; the noble Orsini family in the Rennaisance, followed briefly
by the Sienese, then the Medici and their heirs the Lorraine who
initiated a notable urban development and stimulated an important phase
of modernization.
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This past becomes present while walking the old streets and admiring the
ancient houses and visiting the famous Jewish ghetto.
The large and
active Jewish community, dating from the 15th century, has prompted the
name “Little Jerusalem” for this splendid village.
After important works of restoration, the Sinagogue is again open for
worship, and it, as well as the Hebrew cemetery, the kosher oven where
unleavened bread was baked, the cellar carved in the rock where kosher
wine was produced, the kosher butcher shop, the bath for the
purification of the women and the cleaners are open to the public.
The richness of the past has been handed down in wine production as
well.
The vineyards, fertilized by volcanic tufa and a millennium old
humus, produce one of the most highly regarded Italian white wines,
known for its excellence and one of the first wines to receive the
recognition of DOC.
Several of the grottos and Etruscan tombs carved in
the rock are used as cellars for ageing and preserving the wines. /p>
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Pitigliano street - Photo (c)
il magus
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Pitigliano
Vineyard - Photo (c)
preju_13
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The same respect for traditions holds true for the production of the
extraordinary, cold-pressed olive oil which when combined with the wine,
make the typical dishes of Pitigliano even more delicious.
In addition to the various food-and-wine events, the “Torciata di San
Giuseppe” is held every year on the 19th of March. In the evening, a
group of men dressed in habits, carry bundles of lighted reeds on their
shoulders from via Cava to the town square. There the reeds and a puppet
representing the “Harsh Winter” are burned, creating a spell-binding
effect.
The “Petilia Festival” takes place every year during the last week of
August. It is the perfect mixture of music, wine and food with the charm
of the village as its setting.
The interesting “International Documentary Film Festival” is organized
during the first week of December.
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Text courtesy of
APT Maremma
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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